Chery names its first bakkie Grootman
Chery has named its first bakkie for South Africa Grootman, a name chosen by South Africans. The model is planned to make its local debut in the first quarter of 2027.
- Product News
- 2 October 2026
Given the impressive performance of this fast-growing global SUV brand, with annual sales reaching 568 387 units last year, reflecting exceptional growth of 80.3% year-on-year, it comes as no surprise that the recent Jetour International Annual Business Conference recorded its highest attendance to date.
Now recognised as a major international player in the global SUV market, this event, which was held in Shanghai, brought together over 1 000 global partners and user representatives from 70 countries and regions. This record-breaking attendance underscores the brand’s accelerating global expansion and the strong recognition from its international partners, states the manufacturer.
The conference, themed "Together for Future", centred on Jetour’s global strategic planning, innovative technologies and products, and 2025 marketing initiatives — gathering global momentum to shape the brand's future.
At the conference, dealer representatives gathered to contribute and collectively outline Jetour's future. "In 2025, our focus must be on strategic execution. Rather than merely pursuing outcomes, Jetour values the alignment of vision with our global partners. Through this annual business conference, we aim to unify our goals and work in concert to achieve new milestones in 2025," says Mr Yan Jun, Executive Vice President of Jetour International.
After its first introduction in 2018, Jetour has remained committed to its “Travel+” strategy, cementing its position as a travel-focused auto brand. With cumulative sales surpassing 1.68 million units across 67 markets, Jetour has already succeeded in becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing auto brands.
Globally, Jetour is also the first auto brand to surpass half a million units within just six years. Achieving a compound annual growth rate of over 70% for four consecutive years, Jetour’s rapid expansion has drawn global attention. The brand is now entering its next era, marked by a focus on premium off-road models, such as the G700, being launched in the UAE later this year, according to the manufacturer.
Since launching in South Africa in late 2024 with its Dashing and X70 Plus models, Jetour has rapidly gained traction, with South African consumers recognising the value for money and focus on customer service associated with the brand, along with the benefits of over 40 dealerships nationwide and a fully stocked parts warehouse in Midrand, Johannesburg.
Netcare Diagnostics (a Netcare Group business) is introducing its first fully electric vehicles to its transport fleet, starting with shorter urban routes for collecting patient pathology specimens.
South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded aggregate domestic sales of 61 645 units in September 2026, an increase of 12.7% compared with the 54 706 units sold during September 2025.
SA Auto Week 2026 is scheduled to take place in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, from 13 to 16 October, with the event marking five years of SA Auto Week.